Sharing Connections

Our Vision: Tonight, everyone eats at a table and sleeps in a bed. Our Mission: Share good things with good people.

Sharing Connections (SC) brings together community members by enabling families and businesses to share their gently used furniture and household items with families needing assistance. This is a unique opportunity for the community to directly make an impact by passing on something they no longer need to make a difference in the life of a family. SC operates out of a 15,000 square foot warehouse in Downers Grove and distributes donated furniture and household and impacts over 17,000 people each year. Families served receive more than $2,500 (average) worth of furniture, household items and clothing. SC staff works closely with referring partner organizations such as domestic violence shelters, housing organizations, food pantries, schools, veterans' and teen parent organizations that refer their clients to SC and determine the need for beds, cribs, furniture and other household items. Fitting with the vision of SC, distribution of cribs and beds for children is a major focus of our programming. The families served by SC include the previously homeless, unemployed and working poor, veterans, victims of domestic violence, immigrants, individuals with mental or physical disabilities, victims of fire, flood and natural disasters, emancipated youth, etc. They have secured permanent housing, but are faced with the harsh reality that their “home” is empty or severely under-furnished – without cribs and beds for the children, a table, chairs and dishes to share meals, or even a sofa to sit on and relax. Our clients have an average salary of approximately $15,000 a year. After basic expenses such as rent, utilities, food and clothing are paid, there’s little if anything left for the common household furnishings most take for granted. These individuals and families must overcome many obstacles on their way to self-sufficiency. While volunteers play key roles in maintaining the organization of the warehouse, working with clients when they come to choose and pick-up their furniture and picking up furniture in nearby communities, we must fundraise to offset the associated expenses. Our volunteers are a major source of support providing the equivalent of almost 4.5 full-time staff. As a result, we are able to keep our staff and administrative cost at 5% of the organizational budget